The Babysitter
by inuyashagirl5
Summary: Inu/Bleach x-over Ichigo comes home to find a beautiful girl, with many interesting secrets, babysitting his sisters while their parents are off on vacation. Ichigo/Kagome
1. Day One

**Title: **The Babysitter

**Author: **inuyashagirl5

**Rating: M**

**Genre: **Drama/Romance/Comedy

**Pairing: **Ichigo/Kagome

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Inuyasha or Bleach. Inuyasha is owned by Rumiko Takahashi and Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo. I only borrow their characters for my own amusement and for the amusement of those who decide to read this fic.

**A/N: **I must admit, this thing would not leave me alone no matter how hard I tried to focus on another of my fics. This won't be very long, I think. Each chapter will consist of one day. I guess, all I ask of you is to leave me feedback as usual. This is my very first attempt at making an Inuyasha/Bleach fic larger than the drabbles I have previously done. I dunno how successful I'll be, but I'm gonna go with it. X3

**Day One: **

This was not what he had been expecting at all!

He'd been gone for only a week, having participated in some training with Renji in the Soul Society. It had been worth the time and he felt better having done it, but all he wanted now was to be at home and relaxing. He figured a long nap would be just perfect. He could skip school for one more day. He deserved it.

But, it wasn't possible. Things at home were not normal at all.

First, there was a young boy, probably around Yuzu and Karin's age, sleeping on the floor next to his bed. It was possible the boy was a friend of one, or both, of his sisters. There was no way his father would let a boy sleep in the same room as his little girls. So, yeah, that made sense.

Until he realized, his father wasn't even home. There wasn't a sign of him anywhere. That was the second thing he noticed. His father never left home on a day the clinic was supposed to be open and he certainly wouldn't let his daughters stay home alone, or somewhat alone since there was a boy sleeping in his room.

Third, he scowled. The clinic was closed. It was Monday morning, and the clinic was closed! Just where was his father anyway?

"Oh! Good morning, Ichigo! Glad to see you home!" Yuzu zoomed past him and he blinked. His sisters were home it seemed. He could hear Yuzu's happy chatter in the kitchen, talking with Karin and...

He had no clue who owned that sweet, delicate voice. Did his father have a new nurse? A new girlfriend? No...there was no way his father would ever date again after his mother's passing. So then, maybe she was a nurse? She could be filling in for his father that might've had errands to run and that was why he wasn't home. Maybe the boy was her son?

Scratch that. There was no way the breathtaking vision he was seeing in the kitchen could be the boy's mother. She was his age and oh so beautiful too!

Long and tanned legs. They were first in his perusal. There was a mid-thigh white ruffled skirt and a light blue halter top that came into his sight next, though the clothing wasn't really what he was thinking of because she had the perfect sized waist. Skinny, but not terribly skinny and definitely toned. Her breasts were next. Perky was the first word that entered his mind, then perfect. Yes, he could just see the tops of those perfect breasts...

"Now that's weird. Ichigo's being a pervert." Karin's voice stated dryly, making Ichigo blink and look over at her. Karin merely smirked, her eyes glinting with mischief and Ichigo gulped. That was probably going to come back to haunt him. He could just tell from the look in his sister's eyes.

There was soft, beautiful laughter from the goddess at the stove, cooking breakfast. She caught his gaze and her cheeks tinted light pink before she turned her attention back on the food in the pan.

"Ne, Ichigo, was Souta up and moving when you were up there?" Yuzu questioned, knowing the young boy would be late for school if he didn't get up soon.

"Souta? The boy in my room?" He asked, and when Yuzu nodded, Ichigo shook his head. "He's still asleep."

The girl at the stove slammed the spatula she was holding down onto the stove with enough force to startle Ichigo, and then there was a spike in energy that he wasn't familiar with at all, though it didn't feel dangerous to him, but he'd remain cautious.

"Yuzu, sweetie, please tend to the food while I see to it that my brat of a brother gets exactly what he deserves for not waking up when I told him to?" The girl was eerily calm as she turned from the stove, glanced at him with serious blue eyes and handed off the spatula to Yuzu, "And make sure your brother eats. He looks terrible."

She strode past him with such grace and elegance that he was left speechless until the first shriek came from his bedroom above. Yuzu and Karin laughed together as they could all hear the girl ordering Souta to get his butt out of bed or else he would suffer a weeks worth of doing chores all on his own.

"Ooh, I'd like that!" Karin happily replied. "I hope he falls back asleep."

"Don't be mean, Karin!" Yuzu scolded her sister, "There's no way Kagome would let him fall back to sleep now anyway. Come on now, Ichigo! Sit down! Kagome was right! You look like you've been fighting every day you were away. I hope you weren't."

He had, but he'd never tell her that anyways. Instead, he'd make her happy by following her commands to sit and wait for breakfast.

"Who are they and where the heck is dad?" He could ask a few questions too. He was curious about what was going on in their home.

"Dad went on vacation with their mother. They're due back the end of the week." Karin explained whilst nibbling on a piece of toast. "And, Kagome and Souta live next door now. Their old home burned down and their grandfather died, so they had to move."

She was his neighbor too! Oh, that could be bad with all the danger that followed him around... He supposed he could protect her if he had to. Her family too.

Wait. Why was he making plans to protect a family he didn't know? Well, sure, he'd protect them, just like he'd protect any other innocent human. But this feeling inside him was different...it was unusual.

Yes, the girl was beautiful and had very stunning eyes.

But, she hadn't spoken a single word directly to him.

So there was no reason for him to want to protect her more than any of those other humans.

"Did you even hear me?"

"Sorry, Kagome. I think Ichigo's been fighting while he was away. Probably got his brain all bruised and stuff."

He blinked after hearing Karin's voice and then realized the girl was leaning down, trying to talk to him it seemed, and the young boy was now at the table trying to push down his disheveled hair.

"No, I didn't hear you. Could you repeat what you said?" He asked and then flinched when she shoved a thermometer in his face.

"Open up. You're not well." She commanded and he scowled. She may be beautiful, but she didn't have a right to order him around.

He opened his mouth to protest...and promptly found a thermometer shoved under his tongue and his chin being pushed up and his mouth closed.

Her hands were unbelievably soft and small and...he stopped scowling and waited for the damn contraption in his mouth to beep.

"That's amazing, Kagome! Ichigo's never usually that cooperative!"

"Like I said, " She murmured softly while kneeling down next to him, "He's not well."

And she smelled great too! Was there no flaw with this girl? No, he guessed to be a goddess, one wouldn't be flawed.

"Well, his cheeks are pink." Karin pipped up and then grinned. "But, I bet the reason isn't because of illness."

He glared at his younger sister. He knew she was going to tease him and he was going to retort, but the thermometer finally beeped, and Kagome leaned closer to remove it.

That was definitely her breast pressed against his arm.

Now that he thought about it. _He wasn't feeling well at all._

He didn't listen to anything else anyone had to say. Not even the goddess that was trying to tell him what his temperature was. He didn't care. He knew his body was heating up and he blamed it all on her.

So he escaped. Fled to the sanctuary that was his room and shut and locked the door behind him.

That nap he wanted? Yeah, he was ready for it. A nice long and relaxing nap because he deserved it. Especially now.

He was dozing off when he heard his sisters and Souta say their goodbyes to Kagome, leaving for school where they'd be all day long. He sat up to watch them leave. The boy walked between them, though slightly closer to Yuzu than Karin.

He waited for Kagome to leave as well. He'd have the whole house to himself for the day and he really was looking forward to the silence.

Ten minutes passed. Then twenty. Ichigo frowned deeply and lay back on his bad. Now that he recalled it, she hadn't been dressed in a school uniform. So, she wasn't likely going to school.

Meaning he wasn't going to be home alone all day.

That was fine with him. As long as she left him alone and didn't make a lot of noise in the house, he could deal with her being there. Just as long as she wasn't around him, he could survive the rest of the time she was there...

Which was for the rest of the week.

Damn. That wasn't going to work either. He couldn't avoid her. He needed to eat and go to school, amongst other things. This was unfair, but he'd have to live with it. It was only for a few more days. He could handle that, he had faced worse.

"Ichigo?" There was a soft rapping on his door after her voice called out. He silently groaned, but rolled out of bed and moved to open the door to his bedroom. He swung his door open with force, startling Kagome, who jumped back.

"What?" He asked roughly, narrowing his eyes on her as she straightened herself out and sent him a glare. "Look, if you don't have anything to say to me then leave me alone. I'm resting."

"Fine." She snapped and turned away from him to walk down the hallway. The unfamiliar energy sparked again. "It's not like I was gonna be nice and bring you breakfast or anything. Why would I now? You're a jerk!"

"I didn't ask you to bring me anything!" He yelled after her retreating form. She whirled back around to face him, her skirt flaring slightly with the motion, which made him pause in his retort. She was even prettier when she was angry!

"Which is why it would have been a nice gesture on my part!" She yelled in anger. Ichigo didn't answer. His mind was too busy picturing her being aggressive in another, more gratifying manner. He shook his head to clear the image of her in his bed. Karin was right. He was being a pervert.

"Tch. I'm sorry, alright? I've had a rough week."

"Yeah, I'm sure being a substitute shinigami is hard work." She murmured just loud enough for him to hear, which really made him pause. How the hell did she know that? "I guess I'll go see how Kon is instead. Yuzu glued pink plastic butterflies to his ears yesterday."

Oh. That was probably how she knew. He was going to kill that stuffed idiot.

"He told you?" He followed after her as she moved into the girl's room and sent a glare to the plush lying on it's side on Yuzu's desk.

"Yes." Kagome reached out and lifted Kon into her arms, making sure he faced outwards and not towards her breasts. "Yuzu's gone to school Kon. Let's try getting these silly things off of you."

"Oh no you don't!" Ichigo easily plucked Kon from her arms, lifting the plush by one butterfly decorated ear. "What the hell were you thinking? Don't go blabbing about my personal shit!"

"I couldn't help it, Ichigo! She forced it out of me!" Kon squirmed, his little plush paws reaching out for Kagome.

"It's difficult to ignore life living in a false body." Kagome replied nonchalantly, and grabbed Kon back. "I had to know how he came to exist and why he was here. Call me inquisitive, but I had to know. So I asked and when he didn't respond, I threatened him."

"How did you threaten him?" Ichigo grabbed Kon's leg and yanked him back out of her grasp, letting him dangle and sway.

"She threatened to staple bandages all over me and bury me in the yard as if I were a mummy!" Kon cried out, making Kagome giggle and grab his torso, pulling him out of Ichigo's hand and hugging him.

"I wouldn't have really done it though." She avoided Ichigo's hands as he reached for Kon, and turned away to leave the room. "And it got you to talk."

"You're so much nicer than Rukia, Kagome!" Kon moved and snuggled closer to Kagome's breasts, releasing a soft sigh, that turned into a startled cry as he was promptly tossed across the room. "I take it back! You're evil! EVIL!"

"And you're a little pervert!" Kagome growled at him, her energy surrounding her and giving her a light pink glow. "And to think I was going to help you with your pink butterfly problem!"

She huffed and stalked off and Ichigo watched her intently. Yeah, she was definitely sexier when she was angry.

The pink glow was a bit frightening though.

"What the heck is she?"

"A miko." Kon replied from the floor, where he was still crumpled. "Or, to be more precise, the Shikon no Miko. Strongest priestess alive today and a formidable opponent to any demon that chases her, hollows too. She's also the guardian of the Shikon no Tama. No worries there though. She's good at keeping that bauble and it's energy hidden."

Ichigo hefted Kon off the floor by his head and followed after Kagome. They were on a level field now it seemed. He found her standing in the kitchen, preparing to wash the dirty dishes left over from breakfast. She tensed when they entered and glanced over her left shoulder to peer at them.

"So, what exactly is it the Shikon no Miko is supposed to do?" Ichigo smirked as he took a seat at the table. Her eyes narrowed and she growled.

"You're gonna regret that, Kon. I'm gonna pick up some sewing supplies for Yuzu today while I'm out. You might want to make yourself scarce when I get back. I'm fond of the color purple, especially when it's sparkling."

Kon panicked and struggled in Ichigo's grasp until he let him go. After that, Kon was out of the room and very likely discovering a new and safe hiding place from a pissed off miko.

"Well, are you gonna answer me or not?" Ichigo pressed her for an answer, smirking when she shot one last glare at the door that Kon had disappeared through.

"Nothing really. She just protects something others covet."

"The Shikon no Tama?"

"You're dead, Kon! You better flee this country if you hope to live! If not, I'm going to disembowel you!" Kagome's yell bordered on a growl and off in the distance there was a faint sob from Kon. Kagome took a few minutes to calm herself before answering Ichigo, who was still staring at her and waiting for her response. "Yes, it is the Shikon no Tama and I would ask you kindly to please not question me on it. The less people know about it, the better."

"And you let Kon know? That was stupid of you." Ichigo snorted, and flinched at the glare she directed at him. "Hey, don't get mad at me! It's not my fault you told him!"

"He doesn't know about it either, jerk. Only its title." Kagome turned back to the sink, continuing to wash the leftover breakfast dishes and doing her best to ignore the person sitting behind her.

He was cute, in a rough, always scowling sort of way. She adored his bright orange hair and dark eyes and especially the fact he was way taller than her. Height was always an important feature Kagome desired in guys. It's not that she couldn't date someone her own height, but it was so much better when they towered over her. For some reason, she just liked it better when she had to look up in order to look them straight in the eyes. Ichigo was a lot taller than her and despite his slender appearance, she could see he wasn't weak. She was certain his line of work kept him in great shape.

"So why didn't you go to school?" Ichigo asked her and Kagome fought down the blush she was sure she was sporting after her inward thoughts had wandered off, wondering just what Ichigo looked like shirtless.

"I won't be going until after summer vacation is over. Our parents think it's best that way." She smirked slightly and turned to face him. "They're sleeping together, you know? Your sisters think they're just friends, but in fact, they're much more than that."

"I really didn't need to hear that. I guess I should be glad I didn't eat breakfast." Ichigo replied, his face turning pale. So his father was seeing someone. He supposed he'd be alright with that, as long as the woman wasn't mean towards his sisters. His mother wouldn't have wanted their father to be alone for the rest of his life as well.

He'd likely be seeing more of Kagome too, so it couldn't be all that bad.

"Just be glad you didn't see it. I think poor Souta will be scarred for life." Kagome frowned, recalling the terrible state her brother had been in when she had found him a few hours after the incident. "They don't know that he saw though. Best to keep that quiet and push it as far back into the brain as possible."

"That poor kid." Ichigo felt pity for the boy, but inwardly was glad that it wasn't him or one of his sisters that had walked in on the scene.

"Well, I have errands to run." Kagome dried her hands with a yellow dish towel and then faced Ichigo. "You're welcome to join me if you'd like, but, you're probably tired...eh, don't worry about it. I'm sure I can find my way around town. Your energy signal is overwhelmingly huge, I doubt it'd be difficult to find my way back to it."

Ichigo felt oddly content when she finished that sentence, believing that maybe he'd enjoy having her come back to him. With a shrug he decided it wouldn't be too bad to go with her. They could talk more and he might be able to get more insight into her priestess abilities too. He was curious what she was capable of and if she was a potential sparring partner.

"I've got nothing better to do so I'll go."

"Thank you, Ichigo." She bowed and he swallowed as he was presented with more of those beautiful, perky breasts again. He turned his gaze away and coughed.

"It's nothing."

Kagome grinned and blushed at the pink tinge across Ichigo's nose and cheeks. Perhaps this week wouldn't be too bad after all. She adored Karin and Yuzu, having always desired to have a little sister. She loved how different they were despite being twins, but how close they were as well. She could already tell that she and Ichigo would get along for the most part, probably with a few spats here and there. She hoped she could be friends with his friends as well because she had no intention of keeping much contact with her old friends. She had only told Ayumi that she was moving and the girl had been cold in responding, saying that it didn't matter what she did with her life because she had avoided them for long enough. Kagome knew telling them the truth of her travels were out of the question, so she accepted it and was moving on.

"You ready to go now? We could wait if you'd like?"

"Let's just go now." Ichigo stated and moved towards the front door for his shoes. "The walk into town isn't long, but sometimes there are bullies you have to deal with."

"I'm not worried about that."

"You should be. You're tiny." Ichigo scoffed and Kagome frowned. It looked like she'd have to show him the advantages of being so small. She wasn't one to be taken lightly which is why a lot of demons feared her and avoided her at all costs.

"Feh, what ever. Let's just go." She slipped her own shoes and stepped outside.

The walk into town was quiet. Ichigo watched kagome from the corner of his eye, watching her take in all the surroundings and committing landmarks to memory. She'd even glance back over her shoulder to look where they had come from and counting telephone polls between streets. It was like she was trying to absorb every bit of information about the place.

When they came across the fabric store first, Kagome motioned for him to follow. She did need to pick up some supplies for Yuzu and herself and Ichigo briefly wondered what it was she would make. She led him around the store and he scowled deeply, glaring at the older women in the store giving them odd looks and whispering to one another. Kagome was oblivious to it all and moved to look through a basket full of different colored and shaped beads. He turned his eyes on her when she giggled and held up a bright orange bead the size of a small marble. She turned to him, holding it up and smirking.

"Wow, it really is the same color!"

He wasn't pleased with the comment and Kagome laughed before tossing the orange bead into a little bag. She was getting it. Even though she didn't know what she would do with it, she couldn't pass it up. It was the only one of it's size and color in the basket.

"It's not my fault my hair is this color." Ichigo grumbled, looking frustrated and pissed and glaring over at one of the women who seemed to have snuck closer to them in the past couple of seconds.

"I didn't say anything about that." Kagome murmured, still rummaging through the basket and pulling out different beads for her collection. "I like your hair color. It's different and unique and it fits you. You have a fiery temper."

"Tch. What ever."

"I just have to get sewing needles for Yuzu, then we can go. I'm sure these women are making you uncomfortable. I bet they don't get too many guys in here."

For a quick moment Ichigo thought of Uryuu puttering around this same store buying frilly lace and pretty ribbons and frowned.

"Probably not real guys at least." He muttered and followed after her.

After leaving the craft store, Ichigo continued to lead Kagome around town and she continued to make mental notes of their surroundings.

Their next destination was the local market, a place Kagome looked comfortable in and Ichigo watched her move up and down the aisles, locating items for dinner. His dark eyes narrowed as he watched not one, but three of the store's employees, all of which were male and older, approach where she was standing looking through vegetables.

"Well, aren't you a pretty, little thing?" The man in front of the small group asked. He was very likely around the same age as Ichigo's father, just shorter, fat and bald with gray chin stubble.

"I am a woman, not a thing." Kagome's voice was sharp, proving she wasn't happy. "Don't the three of you have work to do?"

"We'd love to work you over. There's a table in the back we could bend you..."

"Go away and leave her alone." Ichigo growled, stepping in beside Kagome and placing his hand against her lower back. He had heard enough. No woman should ever be spoken to in such a manner.

"Ah. My bad. We didn't know she was taken. Lucky bastard."

"I'm not." Kagome was quick to cut in and before hope could rekindle within the three males, she continued. "But, I'd never date someone old enough to be my grandfather."

Ichigo gave them one last glare, silencing them before they could speak and followed after Kagome to the check-out. Along the way it became obvious that Kagome wasn't getting attention just from the three guys in the produce section. No, she was being watched by every male in the store. She seemed unfazed by it all and even ignored the blatant leer the bag boy was giving her while they were checking out. Ichigo was surprised that she was able to keep her calm, because he knew if they had been staring at him in such a manner, there would have been bloodshed.

"Hey, Ichigo?" Kagome looked up at him as they left the store. He gazed back with barely hidden anger, which greatly surprised her. "Is there anything that you need to get while we're out?"

"No. Let's just head home."

"Okay."

Luck was very much against them it seemed, because they weren't even half way home when they were surrounded by more guys than Ichigo could handle alone. They were a familiar bunch. He'd seen them on more than one occasion, but never when it was just him and a small woman. He knew this wasn't going to go well.

"Can I just set my things down over here first?" Kagome questioned the leader. She had an air of innocence and Ichigo wasn't surprised that she was allowed.

"Sure, baby. What ever gives us a view of those bouncing beauties." The guy leered at her chest, but Kagome paid it no mind and walked off to the sidewalk to set her things down. She rejoined Ichigo's side and smiled.

"That's better." She glanced up at him and smirked, "Try to keep up, Ichigo. I'd hate for you to be out done by a _tiny _girl."

"Huh?" Ichigo's eyebrow raised at her words...surely she wasn't planning on fighting alongside him.

"She thinks she's gonna fight!" The leader laughed, "Baby, save that aggression for later! We can use it for something much more fun!"

"I wouldn't baby me if I were you. But, then again, you are dumb and ugly. I guess I can't blame you."

"I'll make you regret those words, bitch!"

Ichigo was stunned as the tiny woman launched herself at the guy in front. She was fast and apparently strong to because her small fist broke the guy's jaw in just one hit.

"Tch." Ichigo wasn't one to back down either and he sure as hell wasn't letting Kagome fight this battle alone. Though, watching those soft, tanned legs in motion, lifting high enough to give them all small glimpses at her panties, was very distracting.

The two of them fought on equal ground with the larger group, but Ichigo didn't notice a change in their opponent's strategy until it was too late. They had managed to separate them, putting a large distance between them. Then three of their guys went for him, while three others tackled Kagome. She had been unable to defend herself from their combined strength. He had to hurry with his opponents so he could help her.

Kagome struggled against their hold. It was really pissing her off how they were manhandling her person in such a lewd fashion. Some guys were just big, perverted jerks. If only they weren't human, because then she could purify their hands off and get them to stop groping her breasts.

"You should stop fighting us." Kagome stilled as the blade of a knife was pressed to her throat. "Take your lumps like a good little boy, Kurosaki. Maybe we'll let you live."

"You fucking coward!" Kagome hissed and flinched only slightly as she was nicked by the blade as the guy pressed it more firmly against her throat. A small trickle of blood slid down to her chest.

"You just stay still and silent, hon. We're not going to rough you up yet."

"Hey, let her go!" Ichigo shouted angrily. Seeing the trail of blood on Kagome's throat really pissed him off. He wouldn't hold back. "Tch. You didn't learn your lesson the last time? I guess I have no choice but to give you a repeat performance."

Kagome's eyes nearly popped out of her head. Ichigo wasn't just strong, he was fast too! The guys he was fighting didn't stand a chance! Not against such a powerful person, whose aura was pulsing with his anger. Ichigo was really upset. Oddly enough, Kagome was touched by his concern.

_'I really can't let him do this on his own. Looks like I'll have to use that tactic.'_

She let her body slump back into the guy holding the knife to her throat. The fake faint forced the guy to shift his own weight to support her, bringing the knife away from her throat for just a few seconds.

A few seconds that gave her an advantage.

In those few seconds, Kagome had the guy's wrist in her grasp and was throwing him over her shoulder and to the ground below. She followed it up by stomping on his wrist as he tried to reach for his dropped knife. There was a loud, audible snap, followed by the guy's shrieks of pain.

"Oh, oops! I didn't see your hand there!"

"I'm not surprised. He's easy to miss." Ichigo added as he joined her and kicked the guy in the gut. He directed a glare at the few remaining bullies and growled. "Get lost or I'll do double to you."

"He means, _we'll _do double." Kagome cracked her knuckles and grinned. "I haven't even warmed up yet."

They scattered, leaving their battered buddies behind. Kagome scoffed at their cowardice before moving to gather her things from the sidewalk.

"Let me carry those." Ichigo joined her, scowling as usual. He stopped when he noticed her neck was still bleeding. He couldn't let her walk home like that.

Kagome sputtered as she watched Ichigo remove his shirt and he smirked a little at the response before handing her his shirt.

"Why are you giving me this?"

"For your neck. You're still bleeding." He replied and at her confused look he added, "You can wash it when we get home. It's not like it hasn't had blood on it before."

"Um, alright. Thank you." She folded the shirt and pressed it against the wound. She could have healed it on her own, with her own energy, but such things shouldn't be seen in public and they had gathered a small group of on-lookers during the fight. "We should go. I'd like to not look like this before Souta gets home. I don't want him to worry."

"Not to mention the sight of you would probably make Karin and Yuzu worry too."

The rest of the walk home was uninterrupted by pests, something Kagome was glad for because she knew her neck was still bleeding and the scent could cause nearby demons to hunt her. Of course, they'd still end up purified, but she wanted to avoid unnecessary danger to Ichigo and his sisters. Though, she definitely believed now that Ichigo could handle himself.

Both of their shirts were already in the washing machine by the time their siblings came home. Kagome fed them a snack before sending them off to do homework. Souta hung back for a few seconds, worried brown eyes watching her face.

"Hey, sis?"

"Don't worry about it, Souta. Go do your homework and I'll call you when dinner is ready." She cast him an apologetic smile and Souta frowned, but nodded and walked away. "Guess I failed to keep him from worrying. It's growing too fast."

"It?"

"His spiritual power is increasing. It's not surprising considering our family's ancestry. We do come from a long line of powerful priests and priestesses. Before us was our father..." Kagome paused and shook her head to clear out the unwanted images from her past and moved to the fridge, "Dinner cannot cook itself."

Ichigo didn't question her sudden change in topic. Seeing the slight moment of pain in her eyes had let him know that their father had met a horrible end. She obviously didn't like to talk about it and he knew how that felt having lost his own mother.

He helped Yuzu to set the table, then enjoyed the very delicious dinner Kagome had made, ignoring the way Karin would smirk every time he looked at Kagome. It was hard not to look at her when she was making every attempt to include him in their conversations.

Once the meal was over, Kagome shooed their siblings off to watch television or finish their homework if they had yet to complete it. Then she moved about the kitchen, cleaning up their messes and preparing to wash the dishes. Ichigo pushed her to the side of the sink and handed her the dish cloth. She got the message and thanked him for his help.

"That was a pretty impressive punch you threw earlier. Where'd you learn to fight like that?"

"That was nothing." Kagome laughed lightly, "My friend Kouga made sure I knew how to defend myself from those who desire what I protect."

"He did a good job. That punk you hit probably needed to have his jaw wired back together."

"What a bunch of pathetic idiots." Kagome scoffed, "Ganging up on and overpowering a girl...how manly of them. I was happy to break some of their bones."

"Just be careful, Kagome. They're not likely to forget what you did. They confront me at least once a week."

"And probably get their asses handed to them each time too, huh? You were incredibly fast, Ichigo, but, I bet you could move a lot faster than you did."

"I could probably have killed them, not that I would. The only things I take out are hollows."

"Hollows?"

"Hollows are evil spirits that prey on humans with psychic energy. They come in many different forms, but they always have a hole in their chest and a white mask."

"A white mask?" Kagome asked softly and Ichigo glanced over at her to see her face pale and her eyes wide. He turned to her quickly, knowing something was wrong.

"Kagome, what is it?"

There was a crash from upstairs and then a startled shout from Souta. Kagome moved quickly away and towards the stairs.

"Ah! Ichigo, there's a strange boy in your room!" Souta cried out as he rushed towards his sister.

"Who the heck are you calling a boy? And what were you doing in Ichigo's room?"

Kagome moved Souta behind her as a girl emerged from Ichigo's room. Her aura was different than a human, but somewhat similar to Ichigo's. The girl moved to step around her and follow Souta, but Kagome let her aura flare in warning. The intent of her message was clear and the girl stopped abruptly to stare at her with wide brown eyes.

"Rukia, dammit! I thought I told you to stop climbing in through my window!" Ichigo shouted, stepping up behind Kagome and placing his hand on Souta's head to calm the panicked boy.

"Who are they?" Rukia turned her concerned, yet curious gaze on Kagome, then back to Souta. "I'm a girl by the way, runt."

"His name is Souta." Kagome hissed and sneered at Rukia, "He is also my brother. So I'd watch your mouth if I were you."

Karin and Yuzu joined them in the hallway to see what the ruckus was all about, Upon seeing Rukia, Karin tugged on Souta's arm and smirked.

"It's alright, Souta. I thought she was a boy at first too." She grinned smugly at Rukia, "Let's go play the new Soul Caliber game before bed! That'll calm your nerves."

Karin tugged away Souta and Yuzu, though her sister could be heard protesting about the video game as they walked away.

"Who are you and what do you want with Ichigo?"

"I don't want anything with Ichigo and who I am doesn't concern you, reaper."

"With an energy like yours, I think I have a right to worry. Ichigo is my friend." Rukia absorbed the fact that the unknown girl knew what she was, but didn't call her on it. She waited, feeling out the girl's energy and trying to figure out what she was. Her aura felt close to that of a priestess, but something was different.

"Ichigo is my friend as well. I would never intentionally harm him, just as I am sure he would never intentionally harm me."

"Come on you two..." Ichigo tried to interrupt their little spat, but Rukia was quick to cut him off.

"How can you be his friend? I have never, ever seen you before and he's never, ever mentioned you before either!"

"Of course not! We only met this morning!"

"Alright, that's enough! Both of you shut up!" Ichigo moved his way between the girls. "Rukia, I met Kagome this morning when I returned home. She is babysitting my sisters and she now lives next door. Kagome, Rukia is a friend of mine as well as a soul reaper. We often fight hollows together."

At the mention of hollows again, Kagome went silent and took a small step backwards, reminding Ichigo of her reaction just a short while earlier. He reached for her wrist, clasping it gently in his hand. She blinked up at him and frowned.

"I should get the kid's lunches for tomorrow started. They can't make themselves, you know." Kagome pulled from his grasp and hurried back down the stairs.

"Your new next door neighbors are hazardous to you and your family Ichigo. That girl's aura is large, probably larger than yours is she lets it fully go." Rukia frowned with concern for her friend. It was already bad enough that some hollows targeted him, but they would definitely want the girl if they ever felt the power she held, "What is she? The truth, Ichigo. They'll want to know in the Soul Society if extra security will be needed for this area."

"It's not my place to tell you, Rukia, not that I know much anyways." Ichigo replied. He knew what Rukia said was the truth, and things could become more dangerous for them. He couldn't just tell Rukia that Kagome was in possession of something that was meant to be kept secret though. "But, let them know that things could pick up here. If Kagome chooses to tell you, that's for her to do so."

"I trust your call, Ichigo."

"Oh, and you won't be able to stay here for the time being. Kagome and Souta are staying here until ou parents return. If you have to come over, use the front door."

"Fine, I'll go stay with Orihime for now. I'll see you tomorrow at school, right?"

"Yeah, I'll be there."

Once Rukia was gone, Ichigo made his way to the kitchen. He could hear Kagome humming a nervous little tune as he got closer. She looked up at him briefly, worry evident in her gaze, but then she set back to work preparing lunches for the next day.

"Did your friend leave?" She asked quietly.

"Yeah. She sometimes stays here, but she's going to go to Orihime's tonight." Ichigo grabbed her arms to still her rushed movements. He stared down at her thoughtfully for a few seconds before realization set in and he frowned deeply.

"Ichigo?"

"Your father was killed, wasn't he?" She flinched in his arms, letting a soft, startled gasp escape. She tried to pull away, but he wasn't going to let her go. "Did you see it, Kagome?"

"Please, don't. I don't want to talk about this." She whimpered and tried pulling away again, but he held firm.

"I want to know, Kagome. Please, tell me what happened to your father."

He caught her as she collapsed against his chest and she cried. He hadn't wanted to make her cry, but he had his suspicions about her father's death and he needed to know. She calmed after a few, still sniffling as a few tears escaped.

"I didn't see it at first. I only heard the horrible cry. It was very frightening, so I went to my parents." Kagome swallowed thickly, "My mother was still asleep, but my father...he wasn't there."

Ichigo rubbed her back gently and urged her softy. "Go on."

"I found him outside, just in front of the sacred tree, fighting with something I couldn't see at first. It became visible as I watched my father fight against it."

"It had a white mask and a hole in it's chest?"

"It did." Kagome nodded, "It told him that it wasn't there for him, but something more powerful. It's eyes turned to where I was hiding and I panicked and ran. I heard my father call out for me and when I turned back..."

Kagome sobbed loudly and buried her face in his chest. Ichigo didn't need to hear any more. He knew. Kagome's father had been killed by a hollow that had been coming after her. He held her and let her cry. He knew exactly how she felt and he would tell her as soon as he was able.

"Kagome?" Souta's soft, hesitant voice spoke up from the doorway and Ichigo lifted his head to look over at the boy. His sisters were standing behind him, watching as Kagome cried in his arms.

"She'll be okay, Souta. I promise." He stated and he meant it. He'd do what he could to keep them safe from hollows. It was his job to do so. This was also something he would share with Rukia. It probably was a good idea to have extra security for the area.

"Come on, Souta, Yuzu. Ichigo will take care of her. Let's head to bed." Karin nudged the other two towards the stairs, only stopping once to look back at her brother. She wasn't sure what she was seeing, but it looked right. To Karin, it looked like her brother was meant to comfort Kagome. He must've really understood her pain to be able to comfort her as if they were best friends. She shrugged it off. She wanted to make sure Souta was alright before retiring to bed for the night.

Ichigo waited for his sister to leave before speaking to Kagome. The subject wasn't something his sister needed to hear.

"It'll be okay, Kagome. Trust me." He spoke softly, keeping his voice calm and gentle. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have pushed the subject."

"I would have had to tell you eventually." Kagome answered, and then turned her head to the side and pressed her cheek to his chest, "I was saved by a soul reaper, but he never told me his name. Just that I would be safe and that he was sorry he hadn't arrived sooner. He looked so sad and left once my mother found me."

"There's a possibility Rukia may know him. Maybe you could give her a description?"

"I think I would like that."

"Good. I'll ask her to come by after school. Maybe I'll even ask the others to come over as well. I think you'll like them, Kagome." He released her and stepped back. She wiped at her eyes and nodded at his words, making him smile just a little bit. "Alright then. I'm going to bed. Don't stay up all night."

"I won't." She giggled softly, "Goodnight, Ichigo and thank you."

"Don't mention it. Goodnight, Kagome."


	2. Chapter 2

**Title: **The Babysitter

**Author: **inuyashagirl5

**Rating: **M/NC-17

**Genre: **Drama/Romance/Comedy

**Pairing: **Kagome/Ichigo**  
Disclaimer: **I do not own InuYasha or Bleach. InuYasha is owned by Rumiko Takahashi and Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo. I only borrow their characters for my own amusement and for the amusement of my readers.

**A/N: **My most humble and sincere apologies for the lateness of this chapter. I've had computer troubles and recently had to resign myself to using a computer that is over ten years old. It has word pad and the internet, though it takes forever to load both, but it's usable until the better computer is fixed.

* * *

Ichigo groaned as his alarm went off, signaling the start of a new day. He knew he needed to get up and shower before heading downstairs to grab some toast. He had only a couple days of school left before summer started. He was sure at least one of his friends would try to talk him into going somewhere, not that he would accept their offer. He never did.

"Would you please shut that thing off already?" Souta grumbled sleepily from his spot on the floor. Ichigo glanced over at him and then reached to switch off the alarm. The boy flopped forward, his face thumping into his pillow. Ichigo chuckled. Souta was not a morning person.

"Didn't your sister threaten you with chores yesterday?" He questioned with a small grin. Souta shot up into a sitting position, eyes wide.

"I'm up!" He cried out. Ichigo snorted quietly at him. The next few mornings were looking to be quite amusing if he had this to look forward to.

There was soft chatter coming from the kitchen, along with the delicious scent of pancakes. Kagome was at the stove again, this time dressed in denim shorts and a plain black t-shirt. Doing his best to avoid the same awkward situations he had encountered the day before, Ichigo didn't let his eyes linger long on her body.

"Good morning, Ichigo!" Yuzu beamed happily up at her brother and pointed emphatically to the prepared lunches on the counter. "Look at how good Kagome's lunches look! Aren't they amazing?"

"Yuzu, please stop admiring them and cover them back up. The rice will dry out if you don't and all of Kagome's hard work will go to waste." Karin scolded her twin lightly, "And sit down before your breakfast gets cold."

"Good morning, Ichigo." Kagome said softly as she set a plate of food before him. "Was Souta up and moving?"

"Yeah. He was just changing into his uniform when I came down." He replied.

"Oh! That's a bummer!" Karin pouted. "I was hoping he'd doze back off again. I need someone to wash the dishes tonight."

"How come?" Kagome inquired, making her way back to the stove to prepare a plate for her brother.

"My friends want to get together to play a game of soccer. Sometimes our games run a little long which means I'll have to finish my homework after dinner."

"I see. I'll take care of it. You just try to be home for dinner."

"I'll do my best!"

After that, breakfast was a quiet affair. Ichigo kept his eyes on his plate and didn't lift them even when he answered a question. This still made Karin smirk at him, not that he noticed. She believed his behavior today was just an awkward continuation of the day before. It was a first, but she truly believed her brother thought Kagome to be pretty.

"What are you going to do today, Kagome?" Souta's question drew all eyes to her, Ichigo's included.

"There are a million things I need to do. I just don't know if I will get to them." Kagome shrugged. "I might just do nothing but read a book and stay out of trouble."

Ichigo smirked slightly at her comment. They'd had their fill of trouble the day before and he doubted she would want a repeat performance. She'd be alone this time too and though he knew she'd probably hold her own, she probably didn't want to risk it without him there.

"You're so boring!" Souta rolled his eyes. "At least do something productive today. No one likes a couch potato."

"You're one to talk." Kagome pinched her brother's arm. He cried out and pleaded for her to let go and she did while laughing at him. "Hurry up now, you three. You don't want to be late."

She saw the younger ones off at the door, smiling and waving to them as they went on their way. Down the street she spotted the young woman from the night before. She was dressed in the high school uniform and heading towards the clinic. She paused long enough to greet Ichigo's sisters and give one long look at Souta. Kagome frowned, but said nothing. She knew her brother's aura was high for a kid his age and it was likely that this soul reaper was curious. She'd let her be curious for now.

"Ichigo, I think your friend has come to walk you to school." She turned to look back at him. He was gathering up the last of his things and slipping on his shoes.

"I had a feeling I'd see her this morning." He stepped outside and for a few steps Kagome followed him. "She probably has a dozen or so questions to ask."

"You can tell her anything you want, with the exception of the Shikon no Tama of course." Kagome laughed at the surprised expression he wore. Apparently he hadn't been expecting her to give him permission to talk about her without her present. "I'm not afraid of what you will say. It's not like you know everything about me."

Because, she was very sure, if he did know everything about her, they probably wouldn't be friends and he definitely wouldn't trust her with his family or friends. Kagome pushed those thoughts aside as Rukia stopped ahead of them. Kagome waved in greeting and inwardly grinned at taking her off guard. Rukia hadn't expected her to be nice after what had occurred the night before.

"Stay out of trouble." Ichigo teased lightly, enjoying her affronted gasp. Her reaction had been cute. He turned away after that and walked forward to greet Rukia. The reaper girl gave her a small smile and returned the wave. Kagome felt pleased with herself and moved back inside. She still had a ton of things to get done.

Their walk was quiet at first. Ichigo knew Rukia had a million questions and it would be any second now that she would start asking him about Kagome and Souta. Though he had permission to talk, he really didn't want to. It wasn't any of his business and Kagome should be the one to explain herself. However, he knew Rukia well. She wasn't going to make asking for her help easy and he knew she'd want something in exchange.

"What gives, Ichigo? I've never seen you act that way with a girl before." Rukia asked with a slight smirk as she walked alongside him. If anything, she'd always seen him act disinterested in the opposite sex.

"I don't know what you're talking about." He gruffly replied, doing his best to ignore the valid point she had brought up. He didn't act that way with other girls. Aside from a few females, he really was indifferent to them.

His sisters didn't count. Tatsuki and Rukia came off as tomboy-like and Orihime... She was pretty and nice and they were good friends, but that was it. He wasn't drawn to her like some of his male classmates.

Kagome though, he was finding it a little difficult and a bit annoying that he couldn't keep his eyes off of her. It was as if she were a magnet and his eyes felt the pull.

"There is something not right about her. You should be careful."

"She's harmless." Ichigo didn't want to point out that the girl could fight like a seasoned veteran and could probably give him a run for his money.

"I am telling you, as a friend, be careful." Rukia gave him a stern glare. She knew her feelings weren't wrong. There was something not quite right with the girl and she didn't want her friend and his family getting hurt.

Ichigo rolled his eyes. Talking with her about Kagome wasn't going as well as he had hoped for. Releasing an annoyed sigh, he pushed forward.

"Look, she's a priestess. A strong one. Other than that, there's nothing different or special about her."

"I thought so, but it's off. It's like there is another energy wrapped around her."

"Anyway," He wanted to steer the topic away from what Kagome was and especially what that other energy was. That was undoubtedly the jewel he wasn't allowed to speak of. "There was a situation when she was younger where she was pursued by a hollow and saved by a soul reaper. Perhaps you can come over later and listen to her description of him? I think she'd like to thank him."

"Alright. That'll give me a chance to gauge her energies and see if she is a threat." Rukia replied. With an evil smirk she continued, louder than before. "I'd love to go over your house!"

"Ooh! Rukia's going over Ichigo's house after school!"

In front of them were Keigo and Mizuiro, their classmates. Keigo looked stunned at the words Mizuiro had said.

"You never invite me to do anything!" Keigo whined at Ichigo. "You're always spending time with Rukia and Orihime and Chad and..."

"Will you shut up already?" Ichigo scowled as he stalked past them. "Don't read so much into it!"

"Good morning, Rukia!" Mizuiro happily greeted his female classmate, ignoring Keigo's outbursts.

"Good morning!" Rukia replied in kind.

"What are your plans with Ichigo this afternoon?" He inquired as he fell into step alongside her.

"I'm going to sit down and have a talk with Kagome."

"Kagome?" Mizuiro and Keigo asked in unison. Ahead of them Ichigo flinched, then glared over his shoulder at Rukia. She gave him another evil smirk.

"Yup! Ichigo has a new neighbor."

"What's she like? How old is she?" Mizuiro asked.

"She's... alright, I guess. I think she's about our age too." Rukia answered, watching as the news made Mizuiro pout a little. After all, he liked older women.

"You're keeping a secret girlfriend too? Ichigo, how could you? I thought we were friends?" Keigo cried loudly, making Ichigo increase his speed. It didn't stop Keigo from speeding up as well.

"She's not my girlfriend, idiot!" Ichigo stated, not stopping for his friends. If this moment was any indication, he knew he was in for a rough day at school. With a heavy sigh, Ichigo trudged forth, hoping to get the day done with as little suffering as possible.

**oOoOoOoOo**

Renji was bored. Sure, he knew Ichigo was with the others at that school place they went to, but her doubted he'd mind if he stopped by his place for something to eat. He was hungry and that little runt at Urahara's place was grating on his nerves. He needed time away from him so he wouldn't do something he'd later regret. Though, Urahara's shop would be a lot quieter without Jinta and Ururu would no longer be on the receiving end of the boy's mean spirited words and noogies. Somehow he doubted Urahara would like it though.

Ichigo's home looked dark when he peered in through the window. No one was apparently home and he wondered where Ichigo's old man was. The man was usually there running the clinic. He shrugged to himself and tried the front door. It was unlocked and it opened without a sound. Renji didn't feel anything out of the ordinary, but it was odd that the door was unlocked, yet the house was empty. He eased his way through the open door and kept his eyes open for anything that might be off. Maybe someone was lying in wait, looking to strike down Ichigo and his family at just the right moment. He would be cautious.

His steps were quiet as he moved down the hallway heading towards the living room. Since it was the first room he came upon, he'd look it over and make sure things were in order. Renji paused, wondering where Kon could be hiding or if he was gone too.

His question was answered as he stuck his head into the living room to look around. Kon was trying to climb up the side of a chair that held a sleeping girl. He blinked a couple times. He didn't know who she was, but she was very pretty. She was also seconds away from being molested by a perverted plush toy. With quick steps, Renji had Kon by the head and was lifting him away from her.

"Hey!" Kon loudly protested. It was enough to startle the girl awake and in a flash, Renji found himself pinned down on the ground and being surrounded by a pink glow. His eyes looked up at the tiny female holding him down. Her eyes were a vivid gold and he thought for sure he could see some fangs. Kon attached himself to her head and covered her eyes. "What are you doing, Kagome? Stop that before you fry Renji to a crisp!"

"Renji?" The girl, he now knew as Kagome, asked softly. The pink glow around him disappeared and she sat up. He blushed at where she was sitting, but decided it probably wasn't a good moment to point it out. Steeling himself, he willed his body to comply with his demands. "You know him?"

"Yes. He's a soul reaper friend of Ichigo and Rukia."

"Oh. Oh!" She jumped to her feet and pulled Kon from her head. "I am so sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you!"

She had very bright blue eyes and Renji wondered if the yellow he had seen moments before had been his imagination. But these eyes were stunning.

"I apologize for sneaking up on you. I was attempting to save you from what would have likely been an awkward situation. Kon was seconds away from touching you inappropriately."

"Kon!" Kagome growled angrily. Kon yelped and fled from the room in search for a hiding place from a very pissed off priestess. "You better make yourself scarce or I promise you that I will staple flowers all over you!"

"You have to be careful with him. I'm certain if he had a gigai he'd be a raging womanizer." Renji dusted himself off and breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't think he could have kept his body in check for much longer.

"A gigai?" Kagome wasn't certain what he was talking about. "What's that?"

"It's like a shell. Soul reapers use them when they're in the world of the living." Renji replied and then covered his mouth with his hand. He probably shouldn't have said that out loud to a girl he didn't know. "Who are you anyway and why are you in Ichigo's house?"

"Oh! I'm sorry! That was rude of me." She straightened herself up and pointed to her right. "My name is Kagome Higurashi. I live over there, next door. I'm sort of watching Yuzu and Karin while my mother and Isshin are on a little vacation. I guess I must have dozed off after everyone left for school."

She tidied up the small mess she had made when she was awakened abruptly. She folded the blanket and placed it neatly back into the chair. The book she had been reading was on the floor, he page lost for now.

"Well, I am Renji Abarai. I'm a soul reaper as Kon said and the lieutenant of the sixth division."

"Huh?" Kagome cocked her head to the side and peered up at him. He was tall, definitely taller than Ichigo, but only by a few inches. She didn't know what he was talking about again and as she looked at him, she knew he wasn't supposed to be telling her these things. Looking for an out, Kagome opted to change the subject. "Are you hungry? It's just about lunchtime and I can make something for us to eat."

"That sounds good. Thank you." Renji answered. It was why he was there in the first place. She didn't need to know that all he stopped by for was to raid the Kurosaki household's fridge.

Kagome made them rice and heated up the leftover meat from the lunches she had made for the others. She could feel Renji watching her every move, but she had grown immune to such stares since her return home from the past. It wasn't her fault that guys looked at her like she was a piece of juicy piece of meat sometimes. It was Naraku's fault. Naraku and the curse he had managed to place on the Shikon no Tama before his death.

She had been lucky this time. Had Kon not been there to quickly distract her, things would've gotten messy. The last things she needed was to lose herself. She didn't want anyone to know she wasn't normal, that she was hiding something that could potentially harm then all. She didn't think she could bring herself to tell them about her curse. She just knew that they would reject her and in the end, she'd have to leave.

Souta knew, of course, but, he was also affected by the overall outcome, by the interference of the priestess known as Midoriko. She had countered as much of the curse as she could with what little power she had over the jewel. Souta took it in stride. It was her fault, but he didn't blame her and it brought them closer as siblings.

"You're a pretty good cook, Kagome." Renji complimented her with a big grin. There was nothing better than tasty, well cooked food.

"Thank you. Cooking is one of my hobbies." Kagome easily replied, letting her mind slip away from the thoughts of her curse so she could focus on getting to know one of Ichigo's friends. "You don't go to school with the others?"

"I have no need to. Neither does Rukia actually. I think she goes because she finds it entertaining and she gets to see the others." Renji knew that Rukia enjoyed sitting down and being able to talk with her friends here in this world. "She doesn't even mind that Quincy brat Uryuu either."

"Quincy?" She tilted her head again, curious at the word. Renji inwardly groaned at his big mouth. He really needed to keep quiet on the things she clearly didn't know about. "Is Uryuu a friend of Ichigo's?"

"More like a rival, I'd say." Renji was glad to redirect the topic quickly. "I think Ichigo has a lot of rivals now that I think about it. But, they're also friends on some level too. Between you and me, I think it's mostly because of Orihime. Uryuu likes Orihime, but Orihime spends more time near Ichigo. So, Uryuu has to spend more time near Ichigo so he can spend more time with Orihime."

"That poor guy." Kagome pouted and Renji blushed. "Unrequitted love can be difficult. I hope she realizes his feelings so he won't have to suffer for too long."

He had no idea what she was talking about or why the subject made her sad. He didn't care one way or another if Uryuu and Orihime understood each other's feelings, just as long as neither made a move on Rukia. He shook his own head at that thought. It was just plain stupid to think like that.

"Yeah... I'm sure it'll get sorted out with time."

"Good. More rice? I think I made too much." Kagome offered to refill his bowl and he gladly handed it over. "I am happy you came with an appetite. I don't like when food goes to waste."

After the meal was over, and all the rice was settling in Renji's stomach, he departed from the Kurosaki household with promises to return and have more conversations with Kagome. She was good company and he wouldn't mind having such a cute friend in the living world to come back and see from time to time.

"Kon, do you ant to head to the market with me? I need to buy more rice and wouldn't mind having some company." Kagome called up the stairs. There was a soft whimper from what sounded like Ichigo's room and she smiled softly. "I promise I won't hurt you this time."

"I knew you cared about me, Kagome!" Kon launched himself down the stairs and leapt at Kagome's chest. With her quick reflexes, she caught him mid-flight.

"But, you have to behave yourself. If you don't, I won't be easy on you. I may even toss you into the river."

"I'll behave!"

"Good." She gave a smile and nod, pleased that her threat would stand. Slipping her shoes on, Kagome, with Kon, set off to run errands.

As they walked, Kagome and Kon held quiet conversation. Kagome never spoke if someone was nearby and Kon would always go slack in her grip. To passersby, males especially, she looked like a pretty girl with a little plush toy, if they were even looking at the plush toy to begin with.

As they continued on, Kon cleared his throat to gain her attention. Her gaze shifted to him for a moment to let him know she was listening.

"A soul reaper works here." He said quietly, his head nodding in the direction of the store to their left. The revelation surprised Kagome.

"In a convenient store? Why?"

"Patrol duty probably. Like Renji and Rukia, he was probably assigned to keep an eye on Karakura town. It's been a hot spot for hollow activity."

"R-Really?" She asked softly, peering in the window of the store. There was a young man that looked her age behind the counter helping a pair of kids.

"Yes, but Ichigo is usually very quick to take action. The others too." Kon answered.

That was reassuring, she guessed. She certainly didn't want to run into a hollow. There was no telling what might happen to her if she did.

Out of curiosity, Kagome entered the store. It was always good to meet people that could be seen as an ally of sorts. Even if he wasn't aware that she was staying in the Kurosaki household for a short while, she could still learn something about him. He looked up as she entered, the kids too. Kagome realized, as all their eyes zeroed in on Kon, that they knew the plush's secret. These kids were not normal kids either and it explained why they were not in school while most kids their age were.

The boy behind the counter was definitely a soul reaper, but there was a difference between him and the others she had encountered. The others exuded confidence and strength. This boy, Hanataro as his name tag read, was more gentle and pure. She liked the feeling she got from him.

They were all giving her uneasy gazes as she walked through the store picking up a few necessary items for dinner. They were probably wondering why she was carrying Kon around and wondering if she knew what he really was. She gathered the last of her items and moved to the register. Hanataro was blushing brightly which made her giggle internally just a little bit.

"Let me make this easier on you." She placed Kon on the counter with the food items. She smiled down at the kids briefly, noting how quick the boy's cheeks tinted too. "My name is Kagome Higurashi and at the moment I am staying at the Kurosaki residence. Kon agreed to accompany me while I did some shopping and yes, I do know that he, as well as you, are not normal."

"It's true." Kon piped in after discreetly looking around. The store was empty.

"I wanted to come in and meet you, Hanataro. Kon said you are a friend of Ichigo."

"H-How do you know my name?" Hanataro's eyes grew wide.

"It's on your name tag, stupid." The younger boy rolled his eyes at the soul reaper. Kagome giggled out loud this time.

"Oh. Yeah." Hanataro rubbed the back of his head and laughed at himself. "It's nice to meet you, Kagome."

"These two brats are Jinta and Ururu." Kon jumped closer to her as the younger boy scowled and took a threatening step in his direction.

"Kon, don't say mean things." Kagome gently scolded, "It isn't nice."

"There's something weird about you." The little girl said suddenly, staring up at Kagome who had gone silent. Ururu was silently observing her, her brows creased in concentration. This wasn't what she had been expecting at all when she walked into the store. All Kagome had wanted was to meet a friend of Ichigo's and be on her way back home, but this girl... This girl was giving her a very bad feeling in the pit of her stomach, as if she knew there was something bad lurking within her.

"Don't be so stupid!" Jinta placed his fists on either side of Ururu's head and gave her one hell of a noogie that had the girl in tears. "There is nothing wrong with her at all! Right, Kagome?"

"Right!" Kagome answered quickly and glanced at the clock. "Oh crap... I really need to get back home. They'll be out of school soon and I still need to go buy some rice! It was very nice meeting all of you! I hope to see you all again!"

She gathered up her purchased goods and Kon, then darted out the door. The trio she had left behind gave each other a glance and they all frowned. Jinta gave Ururu a gentle shove towards the exit, telling Hanataro that they were heading back to Kisuke's shop and would likely be in touch soon.

**oOoOoOoOo**

Ichigo scowled angrily, his back to his friends. Behind him Keigo was being obnoxiously whiney and Ichigo wanted nothing more than for the school day to end and for him to get away from his friend. Next to him Rukia was chatting with Orihime and Tatsuki, telling them about Kagome and her brother. She was giving a very watered down version of how she had met them and how she hoped they could be friends one day. Then the subject switched to something else and Ichigo tuned them out too, opting instead to get some of his homework done now so it would be one less thing he had to do at home. Tonight, he was hoping for some peaceful silence. Not likely to happen with the trio of preteens under the roof, but he could hope.

Again Keigo whined behind him about being left out of all the fun things Ichigo did when he was away from school. Of course, he knew nothing about anything he really did when he wasn't in school or at home. He already had enough friends he had to worry about because of him, he didn't want to add to that list. It was best that Keigo and Mizuiro were left in the dark.

"So she's not your girlfriend?" Tatsuki plopped down in the chair in front of his desk. "What's the matter with you? Are you too good for her?"

He sputtered and then scowled at her. "What are you going on about now?"

"The new girl. Is she pretty?"

"How would I know?"

"You have looked at her, right?" Tatsuki smirked wickedly and he knew right away that she was teasing him.

"Of course I have looked at her. Now shut up and leave me alone."

She laughed at him, but did as he asked and moved back to her own seat, picking up the conversation that had been dropped. With a huff, Ichigo went back to his own work.

Ichigo couldn't have been more glad for the last bell to ring. He gathered up his things and set off before Keigo could stop him. He could only hope his friend didn't suddenly show up at his house uninvited. Rukia had things to talk about with Kagome that was not for Keigo's ears.

**oOoOoOoOo**

"Well, look who it is, boys!"

Kagome groaned as she realized she was going to be having a bit of trouble with the local bullies again and this time she had no Ichigo as back-up. She carefully set down her things and placed Kon off to the side. She had a feeling she was going to need his help.

"As soon as you can sneak off, go and find me some help. This is going to be messy and I fear I might get overwhelmed." She whispered to him.

"Okay!" He whispered back, and then sat still next to her groceries.

"She's even hotter today than she was yesterday!" One of the thugs leered at her chest, not even bothering to look slightly higher to address her.

"I think her outfit yesterday was better! The skirt was positively tiny and we all got to see glimpses of that treasure she's hiding beneath the fabric."

"Are you done? If so, I'd like to go home and start my preparations for dinner as it is getting late." Kagome rolled her eyes when they ignored her in favor of circling around her like a bunch of over sexed predators. "Really, it's quite unflattering to have a bunch of no good, smelly thug wannabes staring at me. You're not my type, so you might as well let me be on my way."

"It's even more unflattering to have a girl with an uncouth mouth." The guy shot back and his friends laughed and chuckled.

"Do you even know what that word means? Or are you just using it in an attempt to make yourself sound smart?" Kagome countered easily.

"I'll show you what it means!"

Kon yelped as he watched the male jump forward, only to be out maneuvered and kicked in the groin by a girl much smaller and faster than him. It worked as a good distraction though and Kon leapt to his feet and ran off in search of someone who could help Kagome. He hated leaving her behind to fight on her own, but it wasn't like he could do anything to help out anyway. All he could do was go and get the help she asked him to find.

Ichigo was sulking as he walked. He had only intended to bring Rukia back to his house to talk to Kagome, but it had turned into a group event. Once Orihime had discovered that he had a new neighbor their age, she wanted to meet her too. After that, both Uryuu and Chad had tagged along. He was thankful, however, that they had managed to ditch Keigo. He was very tired from listening to his friend complaining all day and getting worked up over nothing. Ichigo didn't know how many times he had to tell his classmates that his new neighbor was _not _his girlfriend simply because Keigo couldn't keep his mouth shut.

"Rukia!" Kon's voice cried out. He saw his friends returning home from school. This was just the type of help Kagome needed. Between Ichigo and Chad, there was no way those bullies would get away with hurting his friend.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Ichigo asked angrily, catching Kon by the head in mid-air. Didn't he know better than to run about the streets where he might be seen?

"I was looking for help!" Kon said defensively, squirming and hoping Ichigo would release him. "Kagome and I went to the market, but on the way back..."

"What did she need to go to the market for? Stupid girl. I told her to stay out of trouble!" Ichigo knew where to go to find her and who the guys were that were once again causing problems.

He didn't explain to the rest as he ran along the roads, trying to reach her before any serious harm could befall her. Before long he could see some bodies lying in the street and the tiny girl fighting one on one with a guy who was obviously stronger and more skilled. In only a few short seconds, the guy had swept her legs out from underneath her and she fell onto her back, her head thumping off the ground.

He would be impressed with her taking out most of them by herself later. The guy was kneeling down over her, preparing to strike her in the face with his fist. Ichigo wasn't about to let that happen.

"She's in trouble." Orihime replied, worried and angry that the girl was in such danger.

Ichigo wasted no time in kicking the guy in the side of his head and knocking him several feet away from Kagome. She was conscious, but groggy.

"Stay still while I pummel this guy." He scowled at her, and then passed by her to address the thug. The guy was already out cold and a little bloody from the cut on the side of his head and Ichigo scoffed. "Tch. How pathetic."

"Stay still. You shouldn't sit up yet." Orihime's worried voice made Ichigo glance over to where Kagome was slowly sitting up and shaking her head.

"I'm alright." Kagome winced as she touched the back of her skull. "I'm not bleeding, but that's definitely gonna be a big bump."

"Kagome..." Kon pouted as he climbed into her lap.

"I'm fine really. You don't need to worry about me. I'm a big girl, Kon." She pet the plush's head affectionately. "Thank you for finding help and thank you, Ichigo, for stepping in and finishing the fight."

"You did most of the work yourself." Rukia observed with a bit of awe.

"Well, yes, but that last guy was a lot smarter than the others. He should consider becoming a bouncer for a bar or something."

"Why did you leave the house?" Ichigo glared at her, but Kagome wasn't going to let it bother her.

"Am I not allowed to?" She gave a shrug. "There was something I needed to get and I was well aware of the possible dangers. I am able to take care of myself as you can see."

She gestured to the still immobile males around them, but Ichigo pointed to the guy he had taken out.

"What about him?"

"He was amazing!" Kagome grinned.

"He was about to punch your face in!"

"True." Kagome conceded. "But, I refuse to stay indoors and afraid. That's not me and I don't like it at all."

"I don't see why you needed to go to the store. What was so important that you had to go before I got home?" Ichigo turned away from her to gather her purchases. Kagome quietly seethed as she watched him. He was being irrational and it was getting on her nerves.

"We ran out of rice." She answered calmly. Ichigo glanced over at her with the change of her tone. Her eyes were narrowed and cold, staring directly back at him. He had pissed her off and for just a few seconds, he was intimidated by her gaze. He pushed it aside as he picked up the bags and walked back towards his friends.

"We still had some after breakfast. How did you run out?" He asked quietly, hoping to calm her.

"Your friend Renji stopped by and we had lunch together." Kagome answered, dropping her gaze. Next to her, Rukia let out a loud laugh.

"That does explain why she would be out of rice." She said, knowing very well how big Renji's appetite could be sometimes. Orihime giggled as well and leaned a little closer to the new girl.

"Hold still please. I can heal you." She raised her hand towards Kagome's head, but Kagome caught her hand in her own.

"It's alright, but thank you. I can actually heal it myself too." Kagome smiled at the kind girl, her anger fading at Orihime's smile. Ichigo's friends were not normal feeling. She knew there were special things about each of them and she silently wondered if one day she might get to see it for herself, but today was not that day. She gathered her own power into her fingertips and ran them carefully over the forming bump. The pain subsided first, followed by the swelling. There was no damage inside and for that she was glad.

"You're a priestess." The boy with the black hair and glasses to her right stated. "But, I've never felt this kind of power come from any other priestess before. It's much larger and different."

Rukia shot a pointed look at Ichigo. He rolled his eyes and frowned. It still didn't prove that there was anything actually wrong with his neighbor. It only told him that she was powerful, which he already knew. As a matter of fact, as his eyes scanned around their small group, the proof of her strength was still lying on the ground around them.

"Well, yes, I am a priestess." Kagome confirmed with a nod. "As for the enormity of my power, I have no idea why it is so large. It has always been like that."

It wasn't quite a lie. Her soul had always been large. She had managed to survive even with a huge piece of it sustaining Kikyo's false life for quite some time.

"It's impressive." The boy admitted. He crouched down next to her and helped her to her feet. "Your control looks like it could use some work though."

"That wouldn't surprise me." Kagome replied with a nervous chuckle.

"It can be perfect with practice, I'm sure."

She didn't point out that her control was, in fact, nearly perfect already. She was containing much of her energy and what he was feeling was only a small part of it. She hoped to never have them feel the enormity of her entire aura, especially when partnered with the jewel or even worse, when her curse was triggered.

"Let's get home. I still have things to do." Kagome gathered Kon into her arms and smiled. "We can do introductions then."

For the walk back, the group trailed behind Kagome and kept their silence, though, for Orihime, it was a difficult task. She was brimming with questions, all of which had to do with the new girls she had just met. She wanted to know everything about her. What her favorite food was. What show on television she watched the most. What she had for hobbies. Absolutely everything and she felt giddy with anticipation. She just knew they were going to be best friends eventually. She was looking forward to it.

Sensing Orihime's excitement, Rukia glanced at her from the corner of her eye and frowned. Her gut feeling was telling her that there was something not quite right with Kagome, but she couldn't just come out and ask her. For all she knew, Kagome could be like Ichigo. Ichigo was a good person with a dark secret. She understood how hard it was for him sometimes, but he still tried his hardest to be there to protect his friends. Perhaps Kagome was the same as Ichigo; genuinely kind and protective, but hiding a dark secret. Either way, Rukia was going to proceed with caution and use the resources she had at her disposal to get answers. After all, someone in the Soul Society had saved her when she was little and that person might know about Kagome's secret.

At home, the guests made themselves comfortable in the living room while Ichigo and Kagome put the groceries away. Ichigo felt uncomfortable with Kagome's silence, but her expression made him believe that now was not the time to talk to her. Instead he quietly helped her to put the things away and then joined his friends. They looked over to him as he entered, a little curious that Kagome had not followed him. But after another couple minutes the little priestess joined them and took a seat on the couch in between Orihime and Ichigo.

"My name is Kagome Higurashi and I live next door. I have a younger brother named Souta, who goes to school with Yuzu and Karin." She said after taking her seat and then motioned to the girl to her left to introduce herself. After a couple moments she knew all of their names and was pleasantly surprised that she had gotten to meet some of the ones Renji had talked about earlier in the day and now that she knew, she could see that Renji had been right about Uryuu's feelings for Orihime and it made her smile softly in remembrance of the days she had loved InuYasha, but he had been oblivious. She pushed those thoughts aside, knowing it was best not to dwell on the past. She still held onto the hope that one day, someday, she'd find someone new to love and that those feelings would be returned. For now, she could only hope and nothing more.

"Ichigo told me that you had an encounter with a hollow when you were a child and that a soul reaper saved you." Rukia brought up the subject she was there for. She wanted a description so she would know who to look for when she returned back home.

"Mm." Kagome frowned and gave a short nod. "It was fighting with my father and then turned its eyes on me. When I fled, my father called out my name and when I turned back, he was killed right in front of me. That creature, the hollow, gave chase, but I was saved before any harm could befall me."

"Do you remember what the soul reaper looked like? Was it a male or female?"

"A male. He was so polite and kind... and he looked so sad when he looked down at me." Kagome remembered his face vividly in her mind. "His hair was very long and white and his eyes were dark, but not dark in a scary way. As I said, he was kind. It reflected in his eyes."

"Sounds like Ukitake to me." Rukia murmured. If it was indeed Ukitake, she might be in luck as far as info gathering went. "Do you remember if he had one zanpakuto or two?"

Kagome tilted her head to the side, confused at what Rukia had said. "Zanpakuto?"

"Yes. Was he wielding one or two?"

"Two, I think. It's a little blurry in my memory, but I believe he had two swords."

"Then there is no doubt that it is Ukitake. You're in luck. I know him well." Rukia grinned, partially because she was in luck too.

"Will you send him my thanks? I know it was forever ago and he may not remember, but he did save my life and I truly appreciate it."

"I will speak to him upon my return tonight." Rukia agreed.

"Thank you."

The conversation drifted to other topics while they sat there and Kagome found herself having different things in common with each of Ichigo's friends. She was quickly growing fond of Orihime and her bright imagination, not to mention the girl gave her similar vibes as Hanataro had. She was a warm, pure soul and it made Kagome feel at ease. Her hobby of sewing interested Uryuu and they made promises to share different ideas and suggestions with one another in their free time. School was almost out for summer, so she had a feeling she might see a lot of him and the others. Secretly, she was planning to work on getting Orihime to like Uryuu. She couldn't stand the thought of the poor boy suffering and if she could be of help to him, she would do what she could to help.

The group parted ways before dinner with promises of getting together once summer was here and they had free time to spare. Kagome shuffled off to the kitchen to start dinner. She smiled as she heard the soft chatter of Yuzu and Souta entering the house and moving into the living room. She ignored Ichigo, who was sitting at the table watching her and scowling. She didn't care if he was still mad at her for going out on her own. She wasn't a typical girl and he knew better than to think as such. She'd let him be mad. She didn't care.

Souta entered the kitchen with a happy whistle and glanced between his sister and Ichigo. The aura in the room was ominous and he gave a nervous chuckle as he approached Kagome. He cleared his throat to gain her attention and when she looked at him, he realized that the only sour thing in the room was Ichigo. His sister was perfectly at ease and unaffected.

"I hope you had a good day?" He ventured politely, knowing that something had to have gone wrong for Ichigo to be in such a bad mood. Kagome's face brightened.

"Yes! I met some wonderful people and even a few kids your age."

"You went out then? I'm proud of you for not being a dorky bookworm all day." He ducked when she swung at him. If she had connected, it wouldn't have hurt, but it was fun to frustrate her when she missed.

"Yes. I went out." Kagome pouted.

"You've used your power? I can sense the purity lingering around your head. Did you get into a fight again?"

"You make it sound like I'm always getting into fights." Kagome gave an exasperate sigh and glared down at her kid brother. He met her glare with cool, calm eyes and she knew he had her beat. "Okay. Okay. I do tend to get myself into a lot of fights, but it's not my fault that some guys tend to be more aggressive in their advances. It's not like I go out looking for a fight. I'm not some lowly street thug!"

"You get into fights often?" Ichigo asked, his tone curious.

"If you must know, yes. Yes, I do get into fights often. I sometimes like fighting." Kagome huffed and whirled back around to face the stove. "Get your juice and get the fuck out of the kitchen, Souta."

Souta gave a startled shout at her angry command. He had infuriated her to the point she was going to start using profanity. When she got like this, he couldn't help but to remember the always loud and brash half-demon she had learned it from in the past. He raided the fridge for juice boxes for himself and Yuzu to drink while they did their homework. Before leaving, he stopped in the doorway.

"You know I will never hold it against you, Kagome. I know you better than anyone." He cast a sad smile over his shoulder at her and gave her a nod when their eyes met. "Besides, I think it's cool to have an older sister that can kick a grown man's ass!"

"Souta Higurashi, watch your mouth!" She yelled, but smiled. He was right. No one knew her better than he did.

"I can't! My nose is in the way!" He replied with a laugh and then darted off to rejoin Yuzu.

"Sniveling little runt." Kagome murmured to herself. She turned her head towards Ichigo upon hearing his soft chuckle. "You find something amusing, carrot top?"

He ignored the childish insult about his hair. He'd heard it a million times in his life already. "Yeah. Your kid brother. He knows how to rile you up."

"Shut up."

"Perhaps I'll have him teach me a few things. Hearing you swear is incredibly funny." He ducked out of the kitchen before she could reply or even turn around and hit him. He had homework of his own to finish and right now, it was probably best to stay out of her way.

* * *

**A/N: **If you're curious, there is a new poll in my profile. Feel free to check it out. Also, you can follow me on twitter. Details for that are also in my profile.


	3. Chapter 3

**Title: **The Babysitter

**Author: **inuyashagirl5

**Rating: M**

**Genre:**

**Pairing: **Kagome/Ichigo

**Warnings: **Adult Language**  
Disclaimer: **I do not own InuYasha or Bleach. InuYasha is owned by Rumiko Takahashi and Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo. I only borrow their characters for my own amusement and for the amusement of my readers.

* * *

**Part Three**

The last thing Souta expected to wake up to the next morning was his sister shouting loud, angry expletives. He sat up with a start at the crashing and the loud thuds echoing throughout the hallway near Ichigo's bedroom. He stumbled to his feet and rushed into the hallway, reaching it just as Yuzu and Karin did.

"What's going on?" Yuzu rubbed her tired eyes and yawned. It was too early for such commotion and their father, who usually made noises like this first thing in the morning, was still away with their new neighbor's mother.

The answer came a few seconds later when Ichigo stumbled backwards out of the bathroom, looking mighty fearful for his life. The bathroom door was slammed closed seconds after and all Ichigo could manage to do was stare at it wide-eyed and scared as hell.

"Oh yeah." Karin yawned sleepily. "The lock on the bathroom door broke last night."

"A-Are you alright, Ichigo?" Yuzu knelt next to her brother. He blinked and looked away from the bathroom door to his sister. "Ichigo?"

"Uh, yeah. I'm fine." He jumped to his feet and dusted himself off. His trademark scowl slipped into place and he pointed a finger at Karin. "Next time tell me the lock is broken so I can fix it."

Karin gave him a rivaling scowl. "Next time knock before entering the bathroom."

He sputtered, watching as his sisters moved back into their own room to start getting ready for the day. If this moment was anything to go by, it was going to be a terrible day. He could hear Kagome still in the bathroom, moving about and muttering some un-nice things about him. He hadn't meant to walk in on her as she was getting out of the shower and he didn't think to knock because it was still really early. The sun had only just started to rise and he had been up early due to a terrible nightmare. He didn't think she was that early of an early bird.

But now he had other problems to deal with. He had seen all of her. Every last inch of flesh that was uncovered, every firm or perky part was ingrained in his memory. He doubted anything could wipe the image from his mind and now he had difficult, boy troubles to deal with because of it.

"I wouldn't stay standing there if I were you." Souta piped in, breaking Ichigo from his thoughts. He felt grateful for the younger boy's presence as it helped to calm a certain part of him down. "She's mad. She'll kill you."

Without another word, Ichigo hurried from the door and back into his own room to wait out the morning. He could go without breakfast today because he doubted seeing Kagome would make the situation any better. Souta chuckled at him quietly, clearly amused by the start to the day and Ichigo scowled down at him.

"Quit laughing. It's not that funny."

"Yes, it is. You didn't see the look on your face!"

"Tch! Just shut up already!"

Souta continued to smirk even after being threatened. He knew Ichigo would never hurt him and if he did... Souta shivered at the thought of what Kagome could do to the older boy. That thought was enough to wipe the smirk away and focus to get his self ready for the day.

Breakfast went by in a silent blur. Kagome was still in a foul mood and none of the younger siblings wanted to upset her any further. Ichigo had made a very hasty escape out the front door, completely bypassing the kitchen and never saying a word to any of them. Souta wanted to comment on his escape, but knew his sister's wrath could be terrifying and allowed the older boy to escape unscathed.

Once the children were off to school, Kagome locked up the Kurosaki clinic and moved over to her own home to unpack some things. She didn't like that her anger had yet to subside, a side effect of her curse she assumed. So in an attempt to let it go, since it was a silly thing to hold a grudge over, she was going to unpack. Souta, her mother and herself had been living in Karakura town for almost a month now and there were still many things stored away in boxes. With her mother gone off on a whirlwind romance and Souta busy with school, Kagome felt it was her duty to get some, if not all, of the work done.

With a soft sigh she headed into her own bedroom on the second floor. It was nothing like her old room back at the shrine, but she was pleased that this one offered her more room than the other. The color of the walls, a mint green, was something she was hoping her mother would let her change in the future. She disliked the color and wanted something a little more normal for her tastes.

"It'll do for now." She said softly to herself, willing herself to not let her mind wander to what her life had been like living at the shrine and how dearly she missed it. She and her family were all starting over again and she had to be strong for them. "Though, to be honest, mom seems likes she's doing just fine and Souta... He's already made some great friends. I guess I'm only being strong for myself..."

She moved to the window, knowing her room faced the Kurosaki clinic, as well as Ichigo's own bedroom. She scowled briefly and then a soft giggle escaped. She couldn't stay mad at him for a couple of reasons. One, it wasn't his fault. He didn't know the lock was broken and neither had she. Two, well, it wasn't like it was the first time someone had walked in on her and seen her naked. Both InuYasha and Miroku had seen her naked more times than she cared to remember. Though, Miroku always got what he deserved afterwards. A sound thrashing from Sango with her Hiraikotsu. InuYasha hadn't ever done it on purpose. It was only when he thought he was rescuing her from danger that he seemed to encounter her and her nakedness. In the end, he too ended up being punished, even if he hadn't deserved it.

"Kagome, are you alright?" Kon's voice reached her ears and she turned to greet her stuffed friend with a smile.

"I'll be fine. I know I overreacted." She frowned. She really had acted so childishly. "I'm so ashamed of my reaction. My temper does get the best of me sometimes."

"You were startled." Kon defended. "I think your reaction was normal for that circumstance. Though I must admit, I am so jealous of Ichigo right now."

"You little pervert." She scowled down at him, but it was clear to Kon that she wasn't really mad and he had lightened her sour mood somewhat. "What are you doing over here anyway? Come to help?"

"Don't think I could do much." He said while waving around his tiny, stuffed limbs.

"I'll let you put away some light stuff." Kagome giggle softly.

For the next couple of hours Kagome kept herself and Kon busy. Her room had come along nicely with various shelves and knick-knacks adorning the walls; leaving many boxes empty. She turned to address Kon, ready to move back over to the Kurosaki's home for lunch, and stopped at what she saw. She covered her mouth and did her best to hold back her laughter. Kon looked up, confused.

"What's so funny?" He asked, adjusting his grip on the stuffed tiger in his arms. The plush toy was almost as big as he was.

"New girlfriend?" Kagome questioned and then her laughter slipped through.

"Ha ha." Kon said drily and let the tiger drop to the floor. "Sometimes you can be so mean, Kagome."

"You looked cute together." She replied, leaning down to scoop him up into her arms. At the last second she turned him away from her chest, knowing already that he planned to grope her. He always did. Kon let out a defeated sigh and leaned back against her. It wasn't what he wanted but he wouldn't complain. Kagome's breasts were comfortable.

Outside of the house she set Kon down for a moment so she could lock the doors. Her elbow accidentally bumped into one of her mother's potted ferns and knocked it over. She bent over to pick it up and clean up the mess the dirt had made. Nearby someone cleared their throat, gaining her attention.

Renji had turned his head away before Kagome had looked his way, but there was no way he could hide the vivid blush across his cheeks. She had only been leaning over for a few seconds, but it had been long enough for him to get an eyeful of her bouncy breasts bound in sky blue lace.

"Just in time for me to make lunch. Hello, Renji." Kagome smiled his way.

"Hello, Kagome." He greeted. "Kon."

"Should've known you'd stop by again. Always looking for a free meal to fill that never-ending stomach of yours." Kon replied with a sneer. Damn this guy for ruining his alone time with Kagome! "What? Is Urahara's shop too busy? Or did they kick you out this time?"

"I came to check on Kagome is all." Renji scowled. "I wasn't aware of the time."

"I think it's good timing myself." Kagome chimed in to diffuse the tension. "It's always better to have a meal with friends and I don't mind making extra food."

"You're too soft." Kon grumbled.

"Oh hush." Kagome covered his mouth with her hand and laughed softly. "Come along, Renji. You can help me."

**oOoOoOoOoOo**

Ichigo leaned his chin against his hand, ignoring the constant chatter of his friends and scowling at nothing in particular. In truth he wasn't in a bad mood, he just wanted the others to leave him alone for a little while. It was clear to him that his desire to not be disturbed was being ignored because Keigo was in one ear begging and in the other he had Tatsuki pestering him about Rukia's whereabouts.

"Oh, um, Rukia's visiting her uncle today. He's sick. Nice guy that Jushiro." Orihime answered cheerfully, reciting such a well rehearsed lie. To those who didn't know they'd be unaware, but to Ichigo, Chad and Uryuu, the truth was obvious. Rukia had returned to the Soul Society to speak to her captain about Kagome.

_'I wonder where the hell she got that star-shaped scar?' _Ichigo flinched as his wayward thoughts brought him back to that morning's incident and just how much he had seen of her. His eyes hadn't been able to turn away and he had looked her over from head to toe before she started to pummel him. Damn girl was way stronger than she looked.

But that scar was what he was curious about the most. It was such and oddly shaped scar that he couldn't help but to wonder where it had come from. How did she get it?

"Ichigoooooo! Are you in there?" Keigo rapped his friend gently on the skull, drawing Ichigo out of his pondering.

"Cut it out!" He hissed and batted Keigo's hand away. "What the hell is your problem? Don't go hitting me for no reason."

"You were ignoring me!" Keigo explained with a whine.

"You do seem a little out of it today, Ichigo." Uryuu commented from his seat. Pushing his glasses up, he peered over his shoulder to cast a curious look to the red-head.

"Tch. You're imagining things!" Ichigo scoffed, disliking the look Uryuu was sending his way.

"Your overreaction would suggest otherwise."

Yeah, but there was no way that he was telling them that he had seen Kagome naked. He'd never hear the end of it.

"Nice blush!" Tatsuki laughed loudly and pinched one of Ichigo's cheeks roughly. He batted her hand away and muttered a soft curse. Today was not his day.

"Leave me alone!"

"Does this blush have to do with this mystery girl named Kagome?"

"Oh! She's not a mystery, Tatsuki! I met her yesterday. She's pretty and really strong!" Orihime exclaimed happily.

"Y-You met her?" Keigo turned to Orihime with watery eyes.

"Ah-huh! Along with Chad and Uryuu!"

"Ichigo, why do you always leave me out of everything? Am I not your friend too?"

"They only met her because they were with me when we ran into her! I didn't do it on purpose!" Ichigo snapped angrily. "You'll meet her eventually so shut up already."

"You are in a bad mood today. It's too bad that Rukia isn't here to put you in your place." Tatsuki rolled her eyes and then cracked her knuckles. "I won't mind doing her job for today."

"As if you could." Ichigo countered.

"Why are you in a bad mood?" Orihime inquired, curiosity getting the better of her. "Did you and Kagome have a fight?"

Ichigo groaned at the question, tired of having all of the attention on him. Why couldn't he be left alone just this once?

"Did you have a fight with her?" Uryuu prompted, trying to draw Ichigo out of his silence.

"Mind your own business already." Ichigo turned his head away, fully ignoring the other for the rest of lunch. He had enough to deal with and think about. He didn't need his friends being nosy about something that he didn't want to talk about at all.

"It sounds to me like they had a fight." Tatsuki remarked with a laugh. "Ichigo has been scowling all morning."

"Ichigo always scowls." Uryuu commented as he turned back around in his seat.

"True." Tatsuki agreed. "But it's definitely worse right now. Look how creased his forehead is!"

"Knock it off will ya?" Ichigo gave a frustrated huff. What he wouldn't give for a distraction and an escape. "I didn't have a fight with Kagome and I'm not in a bad mood. Quit bothering me."

"Fine. Fine." Tatsuki waved him off and led Orihime back to their own seats.

Ichigo gave a mental sigh of relief once his friends all moved back to their seats, giving him some peace. As far as he was concerned, this day really sucked.

**oOoOoOoOoOo**

"I like your home, Kagome." Renji replied as he followed along behind her as she showed him around her new home. Lunch had come and gone, leaving the pair with nothing better to do. Kagome didn't have a desire to wander out after the events of the previous two days. She wasn't much in the mood to fight after that morning with Ichigo.

"It's not too bad." Kagome agreed. "I still miss my old home, but not the stairs."

"There were a lot of them?"

"I lived on a shrine." Kagome explained and Renji gave a nod that he understood. It was rather obvious to him what she was. "There was a terrible fire and we couldn't afford to rebuild. It's only through a friend of my father's that we were able to stay here. He sold the place to my mother for a very cheap price."

"Where is your father? If you don't mind me asking?"

Kagome flinched, unwanted images coming to her as she recalled the night her father died. It was coming up so often now that she had met Ichigo and his friends. That thing that had killed her father, they fought and destroyed them.

Not wanting for Renji to become concerned, she quickly answered. "He died when I was young. I don't really remember much about it."

"I'm sorry I asked." Renji replied sympathetically.

"It's fine. Like I said, I was little." She shrugged it off and led him back outside. School was letting out soon and she wanted to get a snack prepared for the kids.

"I should be on my way. I'm supposed to catch up with someone on the other side of town at sunset." Renji said as they reached the front door of the Kurosaki clinic. "Thanks for the meal and for keeping me company today."

"You're welcome. Stop by again sometime, Renji."

"I will. I promise."

Kagome shivered minutes after Renji had left, a chill running down her spine. She shifted uncomfortably and glanced around. There was nothing nearby that she could see, but something was definitely off in the area. She closed her eyes, her pulse quickening and her breath coming in short gasps.

"Hello, Kagome!" Yuzu's chipper voice broke Kagome out of her daze and she blinked a few times before facing the young girl. Behind Yuzu were Karin and Souta, the latter looking very concerned for his sister.

"Hello, Yuzu. Welcome home. I was just about to go inside and make you guys an after school snack."

"That's very kind of you. Thank you!"

Kagome opened the door and let the younger kids in before her. Yuzu went through first, smiling brightly. Karin and Souta both looked at her with thoughtful expression, but Karin shrugged it off and continued on inside. Souta didn't.

"Are you alright?" He asked, worried for his sister.

"I am now." She admitted softly. "Something isn't right. Can't you feel it?"

"Mm. A little." Souta agreed. "Come inside and distract yourself. You can help me with my geometry homework."

"Ugh. I hate geometry." Kagome replied with a laugh, pleased that Souta could keep her calm. She ruffled his hair to let him know she was better now. "Fine. I'll try, but I'm sure it's easier for you."

"Yeah probably."

**oOoOoOoOoOo**

Ichigo only had Orihime and Uryuu as company on his walk home. The school day had finally come to and end and he was relieved to get away from Tatsuki. All day long that girl wouldn't let up; teasing him about anything and everything, but most commonly Kagome. By the end of the day he had been half-tempted to toss her into a locker and leave her there.

"Are you feeling better, Ichigo?" Orihime asked as they walked.

"Yeah." He answered even though he had been fine the whole time. Maybe a bit stressed out over the teasing, but otherwise fine.

"You are scowling a lot less." Uryuu remarked.

"Shut up."

Orihime giggled, breaking the tension right away.

"I hope that what ever happened between you and Kagome gets resolved quickly." She added with a smile, "I can tell the two of you are going to be really good friends."

"We'll be fine." Ichigo agreed, though he was hoping she had cooled down by now. He wasn't sure how long she was capable of holding a grudge. He could only pray that everything would be fine once he got home.

After Uryuu and Orihime departed from him, Ichigo quickly made his way back home. His nerves were a little shaky and he scoffed at his own stupidity. Even if she was still mad at him he could always flee to his bedroom and ignore her until she was no longer mad. Simple as that.

With his hand on the doorknob he braced himself for any possibilities and entered. He kicked off his shoes and left them by the door before calling out into the quiet house.

"I'm home!"

"In the kitchen, Ichigo!" Came Kagome's reply. That was a positive sign and he breathed a sigh of relief as he headed into the kitchen. He was immediately confronted by a series of giggles and a messy kitchen. The laughter was coming from Souta and Yuzu, who were trying so hard not to laugh too loudly at Karin who had clumps of something tan in her hair.

"What happened?"

"Karin initiated a food fight and lost." Yuzu giggled. "Kagome has amazingly quick reflexes."

"What is in her hair?"

"Kagome is making cinnamon rolls Some of the extra batter ended up in Karin's hair." Souta explained and then snickered. "I think she learned her lesson. Don't pick a fight with my sister. You cannot win."

"Yeah. Lesson learned." Karin muttered drily.

Kagome laughed quietly, a soft tinkling sound that immediately grabbed Ichigo's attention.

"I'm sorry about your hair. I'll get it all out. I promise."

Shaking his head, Ichigo scurried from the kitchen and out of visual range of Kagome. He couldn't explain it, but being near her, hearing her, made him feel different. That morning's incident was not helping and now he had to deal with a troubling situation.

"Are you okay?" She called after him and he inwardly groaned. Damn her.

"Yeah. I'm fine!" He called back, hoping she wouldn't follow after him right then. He didn't want her to see him in that state and he didn't want to explain it to her either.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive!" He quickly answered.

He shut and locked his bedroom door, turning to lean his back against it. Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, he willed his body to calm down.

"Damn it." He hissed, unwanted visions of a naked Kagome racing though his brain. This wasn't normal. He'd seen other females naked before, but none of them had ever made him feel this aroused, let alone a girl he had only known for a few days. "Homework, I'll focus on that and forget was happened this morning."

In the kitchen Kagome returned to her work, keeping herself busy making dinner and dessert. To Souta, he cold see the sadness in his sister's eyes despite the smile she wore. Her curse was effecting Ichigo and she didn't want it to.

"Yuzu, come help me wash my hair." Karin tugged her twin's hand. "With your help it'll be quicker."

"Okay." Yuzu agreed.

Before departing from the room Karin gently pet Souta's hand and gave him a smile. The Higurashi siblings needed to talk. She'd distract her sister for as long as she could.

"It's not your fault." Souta said once the coast was clear.

"That doesn't matter." Kagome sourly replied, tears threatening to spill. "How am I supposed to co-exist here while mom's away if I can't even be near him? This wouldn't have been a problem had this morning not happened."

"Yes, it would have. Sooner or later he would have succumb to it just like any other guy. At least he's fighting it. He could have jumped you here in the kitchen in front of us kids."

"I'm glad he didn't." She giggled with a sniffle.

"Do you like him?"

She sputtered at the question, heat immediately warming her cheeks.

"H-How do you mean?"

"Don't act stupid, Kagome. You know what I mean." Souta rolled his eyes at his sister's blatant stupidity.

"I haven't thought about it much."

"Much?"

"He's cute and kind... but, it's only been three days..."

"Fine. We'll discuss that question later. For now proceed with caution. We don't want the worst thing to happen. _That _would be problematic."

"Yes, I agree." Eyes downcast and brimming with tears she added. "I don't want them to see that side of me ever."

"You just do your best. You'll be fine. Plus, you have me. You know I'll change you back if it does ever happen. I've got your back, sis."

**oOoOoOoOoOo**

She had been sitting around for most of the day patiently waiting for the chance to see her captain. However, Ukitake hadn't been feeling well again and had been asleep all day as well. Rukia was tired of waiting, wanting to get the answers to the questions plaguing her mind.

Did the Soul Society know of Kagome already? Did they know she lived so close to Ichigo now? Was it her captain that had saved her? All she wanted were answers to those questions, maybe more.

She wanted to trust the girl. Despite the odd powers swirling around her, it was obvious she was a nice person who was always ready to defend those she cared about. Seeing the way she protected her brother proved that. She could very well turn out to be a beneficially ally to have in the world of the living. Then again, there was that swirling darkness mixed in her aura that had her on guard. Something was off and she wanted to figure out what it was. She wanted to keep Ichigo and his family safe if need be.

"Rukia, you're still here?" Third seat Kiyone Kotetsu questioned as she exited from the room where their captain rested. "Captain Ukitake is awake. Do you still wish to see him?"

"Yes please. It is important." Rukia rose to her feet.

"Let her in." Jushiro Ukitake called out and Kiyone stepped back to allow the other girl through. "It's nice to see you, Rukia. How are things in the world of the living?"

"That's why I am here. I have some concerns about Ichigo's new neighbor."

"New neighbor?" Ukitake questioned, his eyes lifting to look over at Kiyone. "Close the door please."

"There's a girl who is a priestess that has moved in right next door."

"Ichigo has nothing to fear from a priestess. As you know, they're supposed to aid us if we request it. That's one of their purposes. To serve their Gods."

"I know that, but this one is different."

"How so?"

"There seems to be other energies mixing in with her aura. Darker energies." Rukia explained. "She seems nice, but I am wary. Those other energies are scary."

"What is her name?"

"Her name is Kagome and from what I've heard she was once rescued by one of us when she was little."

"Oh." Jushiro took a deep breath and forced himself to stand. He was surprised to hear a familiar name and circumstances he didn't understand.

"Do you know her? Was it you who saved her?" Rukia asked curiously.

It was, but he wasn't at liberty to discuss that girl with her. Instead he needed to seek out Shunsui.

"Another time, Rukia. If you'll excuse me. Kiyone will see you out."

"Captain?" Both women looked at him, confusion evident.

"Not now." He answered sternly, his eyes narrowing on them as he hurried out.

"Very odd." Rukia murmured. "Please tell him that I have returned to the other world and that he can reach me if he needs to."

"I will." Kiyone replied.

**oOoOoOoOoOo**

Dinner was awkward and for the most part quiet. The only sounds being made were the soft laughter coming from Souta and Karin. The two of them couldn't help but to laugh at their older siblings who were mostly ignoring each other. Ichigo was still embarrassed by his reactions and was hesitant to attempt a conversation for fear it could happen again. Kagome was just choosing to stay quiet. She knew he would speak to her when he was ready. She wouldn't push it.

By the time bedtime for the kids rolled around, everything was even more awkward because Souta and Karin weren't laughing at their siblings any longer and Yuzu began to worry about them.

"They'll be fine once they talk." Souta reassured the girl. "Don't worry about them."

"If you're sure..."

"I am. You'll see."

"Alright then. Goodnight, Souta." Yuzu smiled at the boy before heading into her room.

"Goodnight."

As the children settled in and the house grew quiet, Ichigo waited in the hallway for Kagome. Now that he wouldn't humiliate himself in front of Karin, who would make matters way worse, he felt confident enough to apologize for what had happened that morning.

Her steps slowed as she saw him standing there. His eyes met hers and she fought the urge to blush. Yes, it was easy for Kagome to admit that Ichigo was cute. _Really cute. _But did she like him?

_'Perhaps a little. It wouldn't be so bad to date someone like him.' _She silently mused.

She slowed her steps as she came closer to him. "Ichigo?"

"Kagome, I wanted to..." He blinked as his substitute soul reaper badge alerted him of a hollow nearby. Of all the possible moments... He turned and opened his bedroom door. "Kon, I have to go. Switch with me."

Kagome watched in fascination as Ichigo and Kon switched, the mod soul taking over Ichigo's body while Ichigo's soul became separate. Seeing him as a soul reaper made her flinch a little, knowing what he was about to set off to do.

"Ichigo, you better hurry." Kon said as he realized his friend was hesitating.

"Right. Kon, keep Kagome and the others safe."

Both Kon and Kagome scoffed at his words. As if Kagome needed to be protected. She was strong enough to protect herself.

"We'll be fine." Kon replied.

Ichigo's eyes met Kagome's and frowned, but she offered him a kind smile. Everything would be alright between them. She had forgiven him for the bathroom incident. After all, it was only an accident and she couldn't blame him for it.

"I'll be back soon." He promised as he stepped out the front door and into the night.

"Be safe."

* * *

**A/N: **Just a reminder that recent events in the Bleach manga have nothing to do with this work of fiction. Therefore Rukia's ranking as a soul reaper is as it was in the beginning. I suppose if I had to put this fic on a timeline, it would probably fall somewhere right after Ichigo goes in to save Rukia... This is because I am lazy and haven't taken the time to fully read/watch it. Regardless of that, I hope this chapter is suitable enough for all of you. Review please? :3


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